Pandora's Box
by Jess darkangel
Summary: Title says it all, A slave dumped in a ditch half dead, used, battered, scared and an anger that runs deep for her old master. Every one has a Pandora's box hers just opened.
1. freedom at a price

Soft rocking came to her mind as if held in the arms of her mother, then came the cold, so intense and so much colder than the most sever snow storm she had had found her self to be out in. She shivered constantly but she could not do anything about covering herself. Her arms raised and chained above her, now numb from being held up for so long, her mind just as numb from the repeated blasts of pain she had felt against her. She had been nothing but a toy used by a Magister , if he wanted to hit something, she was it , if he wanted to try a ritual she took the force of it, each line that was cut and filled in her skin each time she felt as if she had been dipped into molten hot lava. She..was nothing to nobody, abandoned at the Magister door at birth, she had been raised as a slave by the elven slaves, even being human.

But it all changed once she reached maturity, she was shunned then she was called to the Magister's room where he offered her a drink. The others had warned her of what he might do, she refused and was knocked to the ground by a blow across her cheek. Where upon two other solders held her down on her knees and pulled back hard on her head. Her neck hurt as she was forced to drink, the warm liquid sent her coughing an spluttering. But what she had taken in was enough, she found the room suddenly rolling, spinning, rocking as she was taken down to a secret room only accessed via the Magister's room. There she would remain until he grew bored of her. But all the time she was plotting in her mind , she would be free and she would kill the man who had tortured her all her adult life

"Blank her memory and dump her, I tire of her." His voice comes crashing threw her mind. She sees a shadow wave an arm as her head is tipped back more liquid is poured into her mouth and darkness returns.

Now when she wakes and she sees nothing but heavy sackcloth and hears voices, then nothing. Only it doesn't last as a pain hits her from her ribs as something hard hits. She can't see what had hit her but the rolling made her almost want to throw up against the smell of the sack and the wetness she feels on her now burning skin. No cooling trickle of cold water to sooth where she had been burnt but the soft patter against it making it tingle and sizzle as each drop hit her. After a moment she heard the sound of a cart moving away from her and she rolled to her back her hands now tied behind her back. Pulling up her legs she managed to get them to the front but she was too exhausted to remove the bag the drug still holding her in its grasp. She waited a few minuets more then reached up tugging at the sack at first it did not move then the cord that held it around her head snapped and she quickly discarded it , she saw dark grey clouds as the rain fell it felt strange against her cheeks and forehead.

Something touched her scuttled across her torso and she flinched opening her eyes to quickly swat at what eve it was. She saw now held in her hand a small brown mouse. She placed it down and watched it scuttle away. Bringing her hands up she used her teeth to chew threw the rope that bound her wrists, marking them and leaving red angry burns as the now wet rope twisted and burned her but eventually gave up and broke.


	2. A Name is given

Once she was sure they had gone she pulled herself to her jelly like legs and looked around the rain running down her dirty blood stained blond hair and into her eyes making it difficult for her to see much of anything but in the distance she saw an inn. Its light spoke of warmth and food that lay with in. Slowly she moved her feet in more of a shuffle walking slowly towards it. After what felt like hours she finally reached the stables of the inn unable to take another step she fell into a pile of dry hay and laid there her body shaking from the heat from with in her scars, they now had an strange soft glow about them but she cared nothing for that all she felt was thirst for water and intense pain. Spotting an old horse blanket hung on a nail above her she reached up her hand shook but her fingers found a single corner and tugged it, at first the nail would not give up the blanket but on, with a second harder tug that used the last of her energy it finally gave and fell atop of her soaked wet and shivering body, now if she could only find food she could rest and gather her strength. Slowly wrapped in the blanket she drifted into a nightmare filled sleep, she saw his face laughter ran all around her, pain and heat pressed against her skin the smell of burning flesh reached her making her retch until nothing remained inside her body or her mind.

When she awoke she found herself not in the barn but in a soft bed clean sheets were wrapped around her clean water sat next to the bed and she tried to sit up.

 **"I** **wouldn't advise that** " came the warm homely voice of an old woman, her hair white as snow ad her eyes hid a deeper meaning to the woman that she could not figure out. Her eyes followed the woman as she pored a glass and moved to lift her up so she could drink. **"Do you have a name my child?** " The old woman asked and she slowly shook her head as she still held the cradled cup in both hands . " **I shall call you Farin** **kerkẽci, ah but Farin alone is so much easier, it means white Wolf.** " she could see the smile that now sat on the woman's lips as she sat next to her. " **you were half dead with fever, I feared you would not awaken, but you did, and now you must eat.** " She watched the old woman stand and walk to a pot that was bubbling over the fire wondering what or who was in it, she was how ever relived to find it was nothing but a light vegetable stew that quickly made her feel warm and sleepy. " **rest dear girl you have a long road ahead of you**." Were the last words Farin heard as sleep and nightmares took her.

She woke with a start the room was dark save for the low glow of the embers in the fire place and that which her own body gave off. Catching her breath she lay back down but for only a moment as now her curiosity peeked where was she, who was this old woman and why had she helped her. Pulling back the covers she found herself in a simple cotton shift her old rag she took mush have been burned as she spotted a small piece of fabric just as old as her clothing in the hearth mixed with the sooth from the fire. Turning she pushed up her hand rested on the stone wall of the room she was in her legs she found were much stronger than earlier and so she looked around , it was a simple room one bed a hearth with the fire and pot over it one book case and a chest that she took to be locked so ignored it. Instead she moved rather slowly to the door she saw in front of her her and still shook as she reached for the handle and turned it she noted her skin glowed less now. The door opened with a loud creak and she was blinded for a moment by the warm bright sunlight that hit her pale skin, she raised her arm shielding her eyes from it until they had adjusted.

 **"** **Ah Farin, good to see you awake and on you own two feet I see, that is good"** she then frowned " **oh my we can not have you walking around in our small clothes.** " She reached into a crate that lay next to her and drew out a light cotton shirt and black leather trousers then a belt that once would have held a sword at the owners hip. Farin stepped back as she moved to help her dress the old woman stopped in her tracks. " **Here you may dress yourself, if you are still fearful of me."** she placed them down on a log in front of Farin and moved back. Quickly Farin slipped them on marveling at how warm she now felt but the soft glow of her scars still showed like ghosts of her past that would not leave her. Once she was sure she was done she moved to sit by the fire facing the old woman. " **You trust no one, yet long to be some one, but how can you be some one when you are no one.** " the woman said this made Farin frown and hold the side of her head at the headache she was forming.


End file.
